"I really enjoyed the play. I strongly suggest reading up on the theme of the play beforehand.
The first act can feel a little slow and disjointed if you’re unfamiliar with the background, but just before the act ends, everything comes together beautifully.
The second act is fast-paced, powerful, beautiful, heartbreaking, and ultimately so satisfying. Completely worth it to me.
One note: Cedric and Taraji are important to the storyline and very entertaining, but Joshua Boone and Ruben Santiago-Hudson absolutely steal the show. They are the stars.
"
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DESIREE B from ROCKLEDGE on Jun 4, 2026
Know your song
"The show was beyond amazing, all the cast were phenomenal. I would of liked them to elaborate a little more on Joe Turner."
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Stephanie T from San Antonio on Jun 2, 2026
Excellent Must See
"I really enjoyed this play. It was complex yet funny, entertaining and enlightening. All the actors were excellent and it’s a must see."
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Sandra G from Yardville on Jun 1, 2026
Great must see show!!
"The show was amazing! The entire cast did a phenomenal job! The story plot was also great! "
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Broadway.com Customer on May 30, 2026
great show
"I really enjoyed this show. The actors made you feel like you were taken back to the time of the story. It had some very good life lessons or nuggets in the story which I enjoyed as well. Great show!"
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chris j from flossmoor on May 30, 2026
Spiritual performance
"Compelling storytelling and character development. Cedric and Taraji were wonderful! "
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Broadway.com Customer on May 29, 2026
A must see Play!!
"Joe Turner Come and Gone was a wonderful and brilliant play, director, and crew. They could not have chosen anyone else to play those parts. Every person fits the characters. Debbie Allen and crew, 10 pats on the back. Please GO!!! "
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Donna H from Washington on May 29, 2026
Fantastic!
"Every single actor was a star! The play was funny and emotionally moving at the same time. The end left me wanting for more!"
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Dominique M from Garwood on May 29, 2026
I thought the play was very inspiring and deeply spiritual
"I like the way the characters play their roles"
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Broadway.com Customer on May 26, 2026
A poignant love story
"I loved the acting, the directing. The story line carries you through a time period of tragedy, love , hardship and survival. You will laugh, cry and identify with the characters..amazing sound and directing in this play..draws the audience into the time period..love,love, loved it!"
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Kathy D from San Diego on May 26, 2026
Funny, Intense, and Eye Opening
"All the actors delivered an outstanding performance. Your emotions move in all different directions while watching this show. You’re laughing, you might cry or have tears in your eyes, and by the end, you feel completely satisfied with the outcome. Mrs. Debbie Allen is extraordinary in her direction of this play, and you can sense some of her personality woven into the scenes"
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Yvette J from Virginia Beach on May 25, 2026
Meaningful production
"I like the insightness the professionality of the actors great performance and the message within the performance"
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Broadway.com Customer on May 25, 2026
Keep your eyes peeled
"Shockers and unexpected events that you just don't see coming. Laughter among sadness. You will definitely enjoy every moment. Make it a night out or enjoy it in the middle of the day."
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Nyesha D from Port Jefferson Station on May 23, 2026
Incredible
"The actors that bring this August Wilson’s play to life are absolutely phenomenal! The story is deep, rich, and layered and it will make you think about it long after you’ve left the theatre. Truly a work of art. "
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Maricris K from Suffolk on May 23, 2026
Wonderful Performance.
"The cast was perfectly selected, it almost seems like it was custom made for each character. The broading house mixed like a family with love, understanding and respect. We all have been separated in life from someone else, but never give up hope in finding them. I really enjoyed it."
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Lerine M from Bronx on May 21, 2026
Searching for a Song Gone!
"August Wilson's "Joe Turner's Come and Gone", was a great depiction of how and why African Americans were in search of the life they once had that was either taken away or left them all together. This play was comical but yet inspiring with messages of hope, faith and perseverance! I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in a period of time in the lives of freed African Americans, who were in search of themselves, love and prosperity - Dr. Robin "
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Robin L M from Mays Landing on May 21, 2026
Must see
"The acting was amazing! The choreography was captivating, and the story telling was thrilling."
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Broadway.com Customer on May 21, 2026
Where has Joe Turner gone?
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A Night of Pure Magic at the Barrymore Theatre
Joe Turner's Come and Gone – May 14, 2026 Performance
From the moment the lights dimmed at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on the evening of May 14th, I knew I was in for something extraordinary. August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, directed by the incomparable Debbie Allen, is not merely a play — it is a spiritual reckoning, a communal exhale, and an electrifying testament to the enduring power of storytelling.
The Opening Act Sets the Tone
The opening moments pulled me in with an almost gravitational force. The Pittsburgh boardinghouse of 1911 materialized before us — not just as a set, but as a living, breathing sanctuary. Every creak of the floorboards, every flicker of lamplight whispered of journeys taken and yet to come. I was captivated from the very first scene and never once released.
Cedric the Entertainer and Taraji P. Henson: Pure Magic
Let me be unequivocal — Cedric the Entertainer and Taraji P. Henson are pure magic on that stage. Cedric's Seth Holly is grounded, warm, and commanding, a man who has built something real with his own hands and guards it with quiet ferocity. And Henson — in what is her stunning Broadway debut — delivers a Bertha Holly so full of grace, humor, and maternal fire that you forget you're watching a performance. You're simply in the presence of someone real. Together, they anchor this production with a chemistry that radiates warmth into every corner of the theatre.
But the magic doesn't stop with the leads. Joshua Boone's Herald Loomis is a haunted, searing force — a man carrying seven years of stolen life under Joe Turner's cruel hand, searching desperately for his wife and for himself. Ruben Santiago-Hudson's Bynum Walker is mystical and mesmerizing, a conjure man whose every word feels like ancient wisdom pulled from the soil itself. There is not a single weak link in this cast. Every actor, from the principals to the ensemble, commits fully to Wilson's "
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Kyron R from Buffalo on May 21, 2026
Amazing
"Absolutely amazing! The entire cast, stage displays and storyline; All captivating!"
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Carolyn M from Charlotte on May 20, 2026
Beautifully done!
"I liked the portrayals, the set, everything about it! "
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Broadway.com Customer on May 20, 2026
A Must See
"Loved the seats , scenes and in spite of fact Cedric the Entertainer was out his understudy was spectacular. Ms.Taraji Henson was her magnificent self !!! "
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Wanda H from Unicoi on May 18, 2026
Amazing! Powerful!
"Great acting and dialogue. Touching. A great study in: what are we looking for? Amazing play. "
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Broadway.com Customer on May 17, 2026
Amazing story of generations past
"I love it! Taraji did her thing. Also make way for Joshua as Harold Loomis and his rising star! With his fine self. Amazing performance. "
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Broadway.com Customer on May 17, 2026
Black excellence
"When a production and cast is full
of melon, if the content and the story line’s great, I will thoroughly enjoy it. I thoroughly enjoyed this production from beginning to end. Everyone involved did an excellent job, the stage crew, the cast, and the producers. May God continue to give you vision and direction. You all a truly a blessing! Keep shining!"
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Joseph K from N Prince George on May 16, 2026
AMAZING and heartfelt
"I laughed ... I cried... it was an emotional rollecoaster that left me satisfied... Fly from Chicago to see the show and dont regret it"
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Ry R from Chicago on May 15, 2026
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About
Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Set in 1911, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone unfolds in a Pittsburgh boarding house run by the steadfast Seth and warm-hearted Bertha Holly. Their home offers refuge to Black travelers navigating the upheaval of the Great Migration. Among them is Herald Loomis, a man on a quest to reunite with his lost wife—and to reclaim the self he was forced to abandon during seven years of forced labor under Joe Turner.
As buried traumas surface and spiritual forces awaken, Loomis’s journey becomes one of profound self-discovery. Around him, others seek connection, direction, and healing from a past marked by pain. Through poetic dialogue and vivid, deeply human characters, Wilson crafts a powerful meditation on identity, resilience, and renewal.
